Low-level Waste Repository (DRIGG)

Malcolm Wicks: I am announcing that I have, today, laid a departmental minute before the House regarding the granting of an indemnity related to nuclear occurrences forming part of new contracts for the LLWR at DRIGG.
	The NDA proposes to grant an indemnity against uninsurable claims from nuclear incidents that fall outside the regime offered by the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 and the Paris and Brussels conventions to the contractor (and limited specified affiliates) who will operate the LLWR site licence company. At present any such uninsurable claims are borne by the NDA. Given the low probability of a claim being brought the NDA has assessed that the benefits of engaging the contractor outweigh the small risk that the indemnity may be called.
	A key element of the NDA's strategy has been to use competition to improve the management and operation of its sites. The LLWR contracts will be the first to be awarded as a result of competition
	Copies of the departmental minute relating to this indemnity have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and will be posted on the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform website at: www.berr.gov.uk.

Meg Hillier: The Justice and Home Affairs Council will be held on 28 February 2008 in Brussels. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, the Solicitor-General of Scotland (Frank Mulholland) and I will attend on behalf of the United Kingdom. As the provisional agenda stands, the following items will be discussed:
	The Council will start with a discussion of the draft Europol Council decision, with the presidency aiming to gain consensus on a number of fundamental issues surrounding the funding of Europol and the application of privileges and immunities to Europol staff that are crucial to being able to adopt the Council decision by June. The Government have concerns with the proposal to grant privileges and immunities to Europol working in joint investigation teams and are working to resolve this.
	There will follow a discussion on common standards and procedures for returning illegally staying third-country nationals. The UK has not opted-in to this instrument.
	We expect that the presidency will give a state of play report on the proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law and the Commission to set out their plans concerning the proposal for a directive on ship-source pollution.
	There will be an update from the presidency on the ratification of EU-US agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance. These measures were signed in 2003 but have yet to enter into force pending the completion of implementation measures in member states, including in the UK.
	There will be a discussion of the draft framework decision on combating terrorism in relation to scope and proportionality. The Government are broadly happy with the instrument as it stands, however it has not yet cleared parliamentary scrutiny.
	At the Mixed Committee with Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, the Commission will present a revised timetable for implementation of the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS). This follows the discussion at the informal JHA Council in January, where Ministers discussed the fact that more time for testing was needed. The Government are keen to ensure that the Commission timetable is robust and evidence-based.
	This will be followed by a meeting of the Council in Mixed Committee with Liechtenstein, where the group will discuss the amendment of the rules of procedure of the Committee established between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation concerning the latter's association in the implementation, application and development of the Schengen Acquis. An amendment to the rules of procedure is required to enable the Principality of Liechtenstein to also participate in the Mixed Committee following signature of the protocol concerning Liechtenstein's accession to the Schengen area.
	Over lunch Ministers will discuss the Visa Waiver Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). In 2007, the US authorities proposed amendments to the criteria for the US Visa Waiver Program; the UK has participated in the program since its inception in 1986. The UK has a very significant interest in the proposed amendments because of the large amount of tourist and business traffic between the UK and the USA. The UK recognises and supports the need to improve the security of travel, but any amendments to the Visa Waiver Program should be managed to ensure as little impact on legitimate travel between the UK and the USA as possible. Candidate countries for the Visa Waiver Program have received a draft MOU from the US authorities that must be agreed and signed before they may join. Identical draft MOUs have been sent to other EU member states that currently participate in the program and we are studying this document carefully. All existing members (including the UK) will be asked to sign the MOU in order to continue to participate in the Visa Waiver Program.
	Also over lunch, Interior Ministers will discuss SIS II, the High Level Contact Group with the US on data protection and sharing and relations with the European Parliament.
	Justice Ministers will discuss the Commission's intention to create a forum for discussing EU justice policies and practice, for a first exchange of views. It is expected that they will also discuss the financing of E-justice projects and the need to give formal agreement to certain measures before the coming into force of the new treaty.